The Half-Blood Wars Book 1: Boot Camp
by HephaestusBuilds
Summary: In an Alt.History where every god, monster & pantheon exists, Greece & Rome have become global superpowers over the past two thousand years, each controlling & having taken over dozens of countries & nearly having control over their side of the world. Now Greece is putting together an elite team on young Half-Bloods to fight Rome named the Immortal Spartans SYOC. Submissions Closed
1. Submission Form

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! Hephaestus here with a new story idea and my first SYOC(or Submit Your Original Character) story. If you're not familiar with the concept, I have come up with a basic idea for a story and have decided to ask you guys to come up with and submit your own original character ideas. The brief synopsis I have so far will be below as will the submission Rules and Form. As I just mentioned, this story is still in the ideas phase so I will wait until after I collect and decide on the submissions to fully put the story together. Also, I am leaving the order for my future stories up to my Poll that you can find on my Profile, so it's not really up to me when this story comes out once I'm done coming up with the basic draft. So go ahead and vote for this story on my Poll if you want it sooner.

Concerning my Poll, I have another PJ Percabeth story going on right now that I'd suggest you check out as well as ideas for two PJ Pertemis stories on my Poll and Profile as well.

As of now, this story will be on hold until after I get all the characters I need, my current story ends as well as until it's time comes based on the votes from the Poll. So don't expect this story to come out for some time, but I'll try to be quick as well as be sure to keep you guys updated, so be sure to Follow/Favorite this story to get notified when I put out an update.

If you have any questions let me know with a Review. I'll always answer so feel free to Review or PM me at any time. I love to talk. Everything you should need for now is below.

Have a great day,

Hephaestus

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Synopsis for story so far:

Set in an alternate timeline where the gods of old are known throughout the world and Greece and New Rome have become global superpowers, each controlling and having taken over several other countries in order to make their country the strongest to counter their rival. The States of Greece had been forced to flee from their ancestral home many centuries ago and traveled to America where they took over the newly forming country and soon took control over most of the Western world. The Holy Roman Empire on the other hand, has managed to maintain its control over most of the Eastern world bar a few select remaining countries like China, Russia, Japan and various island nations.

The two superpowers have been fighting for thousands of years and their war has now brought them to the current time, with each side vying for world domination. The countries have assimilated their sides of the world and are scouring the former free countries for new soldiers for the ever-growing war; Demigods and Legacies. With all of the gods of the various pantheons having gone silent centuries ago, each side is searching for the very valuable and elusive children of the gods and their descendants.

Now, two bands of demigod/legacy soldiers are being assembled and trained in order to be used as an elite strike force to help crumple the opposing government. But who will win, The States of Greece or the Holy Roman Empire? Maybe the third party countries that have been trying to overthrow the two global superpowers? Maybe they'll manage to come to a truce? I don't know, you'll have to read and find out.

This story will be rated M. Check below in my Rules section for more info, but in short there will be NO lemons or the like at all. This story will have violence, war(obviously), blood, gore and all that fun stuff. Don't have a full idea what this story will be yet, but it'll most likely be darker in tone.

The States of Greece:

Forced to flee from their ancestral home many centuries ago, they traveled to America where they took over the newly forming country and soon took control over most of the Western world, including most of Canada, Mexico, Central America and most of South America. Led by elected officials taken from their various Assimilated States. They seek to defend themselves against The Holy Roman Empire, be that if they must destroy them or come to a treaty.

The Holy Roman Empire:

Has managed to maintain its control over most of the Eastern world bar a few select remaining countries like China, Russia, Japan and various island nations. They are more militarized and brutal, led by an Emperor and his governors. They seek to destroy The States of Greece as well as the free countries and take them over.

Other Non-allied/Assimilated countries:

A few select remaining countries like China, Russia, Japan, parts of Canada and South America and various island nations all around the world that have managed to fend off The States of Greece and The Holy Roman Empire by either meeting them in combat or simply not being worth it to take over.

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Rules for submitting a character:

I will NOT be accepting guest submissions. Sorry, but it'll just be easier to be able to talk to people I can PM.

I need a total of about fifteen characters(five for each side) to start off with, but more characters will most likely be added later on.

PM submissions ONLY, NO REVIEW submissions please. Label your PM 'PJ SYOC:(character name)'.

When submitting, make sure to say which side you want them to be on(Greek, Roman or other[meaning part of the free countries]), but keep in mind that Greek demigods will automatically be put on the Greek side unless otherwise stated by you, so change them to Roman or another if you want them as something else. Also keep in mind that Greece and Rome will be the main focus, so if you submit a character from somewhere else don't get upset if they aren't in the story that much.

Keep in mind that I may make some minor changes to characters in order to help them fit in my story. So don't get too mad at me if I make some alterations.

You MAY submit a character related to canon characters(like a child of a god we know). Though, you should know that I'll mostly be going for unique/interesting characters/parents. ANY pantheon/mythology is allowed(ie Greek, Roman, Aztec, Japanese, Native American, American, etc).

Keep in mind the background and reasons for these teams having formed as stated above. They are a military force, so don't suggest someone that's a complete pacifist or wouldn't fit in with the team.

The Form is right below here, so read through it and have an answer for each of the bio points, I won't accept Forms that aren't at least mostly filled out. If you go over the word limit(which is easier than you think, I've submitted an OC before) split your submission into parts separated by section(number them please like 1/3). I like detail, I would rather read a three part submission than get a short one that doesn't offer any information about the character.

Don't get upset/offended or start harassing me if I don't add your character. I honestly don't know how many submissions I'll get and I most likely won't be able to include everyone I get.

I MAY accept more characters further on for additional main characters OR side characters. PJ has always had a large extended cast, think every other cabin. Your character may be a main character, side character, one-off character, etc.

Keep in mind that I will also be accepting submissions for older Superior Officers, mentors, staff, retired/older soldiers, etc. So be sure to specify which kind of character you're submitting.

Only one submission per person please, unless I say otherwise later on.

This story is rated M. So the themes/tone will fit the rating. BUT, I will NOT be including any Lemons or the sort. This isn't that type of story and I don't write them. However, couples/pairings WILL be included, so make sure to fill out the Form in detail especially when talking about their romantic stuff. I will be putting together characters I think fit together. Pretty much every kind of couple is allowed, meaning male/female, male/male and female/female. I haven't decided or not if I'll be allowing pairings of more than two people, I'm not totally against the idea, but the logistics might be hard for me to do without a ton of planning and making sure the characters work. But if you REALLY sell me on the idea that your character would be in a polyamorous(or the like, this is just an example) relationship and I think that other characters fit that idea, then I'll include it. But keep in mind, I'm just your average, nerdy, uncool, socially awkward straight dude that sits in his room writing fanfics all day, so if I get anything wrong or don't understand some things, I'm NOT trying to be rude, I'm just oblivious to this sort of thing since I was raised in a strict household that doesn't accept anything but male/female relationships. I've also never written a gay/lesbian/etc kind of couple before. I've included gay or lesbian characters in my stories before, sure, I'm all for diversity if done right, but they've never been a focus yet. So while I'm up for the challenge and experience, I might mess some things up and they might be a little off at first until I get the hang of them. But as far as I'm concerned, all relationships(in terms of romantic ones) are the same when broken down, you have two(or more) people who love the other.

Dang, that was a lot more rules than I thought I'd do. But that should be all of them. Please keep them in mind going forward, because I don't want to cut out any submissions because someone breaks the rules or something. Also keep in mind that this is my first SYOC story, so it might take me a little time to get used to it as well as start writing the story after I get all the submissions.

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Submission Form(either copy and paste if you can or write yours down in THIS format please):

A quick note concerning Demigod and General Abilities:

Demigod Abilities: Are the superpower-like abilities that demigods/legacies have. Such as Elemental control(like water, fire, earth, air, etc), increased strength or skill(like for Ares, Heracles or kids of the Big Three), increased intelligence, flight, stuff like that. If you need more examples or descriptions check the wiki or PM me.

General Abilities: Are basic, normal abilities that ALL demigods/legacies have. Including slightly increased strength, speed, stamina, endurance and durability compared to average humans. But the amount that they're stronger than humans or other demigods or legacies varies on their godly parent.

**Basic Stats: **

Full Name:

Child/Legacy of(any pantheon is allowed, read the rules for further info):

Nicknames (if any):

Age Normal submission(14-21)(leave blank if not):

Age Older/Mentor submissions(25+)(leave blank if not):

Birthday:

Place of residence(Greece/New Rome/Other):

Place of birth(Greece/New Rome/Other):

Job on the team(ie Mechanic/medic/leader/recon, etc):

**Sexy Stuff: **

Gender/Gender identity(be specific, I don't understand most of the terms):

Sexuality(same as above):

Attracted to(their type, buff, leggy, petite, etc):

Romantic experience(if any AND old enough):

Sexual experience(if any AND old enough):

**Visual Description: **

Language(s) Spoken(Greek/Roman/native ancient tongue will be included):

Height (tall, medium, short. Give exact height if possible):

Weight (heavy, average, light. Give exact weight if possible):

Build (petite, willowy, thick, curvy, voluptuous, tiny, etc.):

Eye Color/Shape:

Hair Color/Length:

Hairstyle(s):

Skin tone:

Nationality:

Ethnicity:

Face (cheeks, ears, lips, etc.):

Scars/Tattoos (optional):

**Personality:**

General Attire/s:

Personality (remember, detailed please):

Likes:

Dislikes:

Pet Peeves:

How trusting (cynical, too trusting, untrusting, average, etc.):

Quirks:

Habits (whether good of bad):

Friends/others Would Describe them as:

They would describe themselves as:

Favorite thing to do:

Least favorite thing to do:

Introvert or Extrovert:

Artistic or Analytical:

Goals/Dreams:

Beliefs/Affiliations:

Insecurities:

What would they die for:

Sounds like/speech pattern:

**Abilities/Powers: **

Tools/Weapons:

Demigod Powers(if you need examples check the wiki):

Demigod Powers Weaknesses:

Mental Weaknesses:

Physical Weaknesses:

General Abilities/Skills(think human abilities):

Fighting Style(optional/best guess):

Moral Compass(very good, morally gray):

Family/friends:

Character Flaws:

**Other: **

History:

Other details:

Should they die or not:

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Well, thanks for getting this far. I hope this story sounds at least kinda interesting. If you even have a vague idea for a character, PLEASE submit a form. I need all the submission I can get. Like I said above, I have many things to do before I can start this story, but I figured that it would be best to put this out as soon as possible so everyone could submit their characters.

If you have any questions or comments whatsoever, just Review or PM me and I'll reply. Be sure to Follow/Favorite this story and myself to get updates on what I'm doing. I also have a Twitter, same name as one here, I use it to post Polls, ask questions and post updates. I want to get more followers so I have more reason to use it more.

With that being said, that's all I have right now. I'll try my best to keep you all updated. Have a great day and don't forget to submit your character,

Hephaestus


	2. Submissions Update & Additional Info

(Updated: 8/9/19)

Hey, everyone! How's it going? Thanks SO much for all the support for this story so far. I'm here today to just put out a (hopefully)quick update concerning what spots are open/closed. If you need/want any more information about the country your submission lives/was born in, look below. I covered most of the countries I've been asked about so far. Let me know if I didn't cover one you have a question about.

A few things to keep in mind:

NO OP characters, they won't be considered.

Try to pick some more unusual pantheons/gods

Remember to fill out the ENTIRE Form

Greek Normal Age Spots: **Closed**.

Thanks to everyone who has submitted so far. I've gotten twelve Greek submissions alone, so I'm all good now. But PLEASE feel free to submit an OC for an Older/Mentor spot.

Greek Older/Mentor Spots: **Closed**.

Don't have any yet, looking for at least three.

Roman Normal Age Spots: **Closed**.

Does no one want to be Roman? Yeah they might be perceived as the bad guys in this story, but they're important too.

Roman Older/Mentor Spots: **Closed**.

We have one submission so far, want at least two more.

Free Countries Normal Age Spots: **Closed**.

We have five submissions so far, I would like at least 5-10 more. Note: These characters will most likely serve more as side characters, but I have a group of Norse/Scandinavian demigods and legacies forming. So if you want to submit someone from a Norse/Scandinavian pantheon, better do it sooner rather than later.

Free Countries Older/Mentor Spots: **Closed**.

We don't have any yet. Anyone want their OC to lead a badass group of viking-like demigods and legacies? Then fill out a Form. Spots open for non-Norse/Scandinavian Older/Mentor characters as well.

I'll try my best to keep this updated, so check back here every once in awhile to see what spots are open or PM me and ask.

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**Longer Synopsis: **

An AU in which _every _god, _every _mythical figure and _every _pantheon exists and is known to the world, and Greece and Rome have become global superpowers over the past two thousand years. Each superpower controlling and having taken over dozens of countries and nearly having control over their side of the world.

The States of Greece, having been forced to flee their ancestral homeland many centuries ago, traveled to the newly forming American Colonies and promptly took over the Colonies, then spread across the entire country and out into the continent. Now, Greece controls most of the Western World, engaged with an ever present war with Rome. While the mega country has had a shady and blood-ridden history, they have since stopped all hostilities with the remaining Free Countries of the world, instead extending an olive branch of peace. Requesting to form Alliances and Peace Treaties with the Free Countries in order to defeat Rome once and for All, under the promises to protect the other countries and return any and all native lands that Rome had stolen after the war.

In Greece any non-native Greek or foreigner may freely request citizenship upon entering the country, and after serving in either the military as a soldier or support or participating in numerous and lengthy volunteer programs, may receive full citizenship. With their citizenship, they receive the same basic rights that all native Greek citizens do, bar a select few like holding a high political office. Once a citizen, they may own property, go to school, vote, live wherever they want and most importantly worship ANY god or pantheon they want, bar that they still worship the Greek Olympians as well. In Greece, you may marry as you please, with some exclusions with some of the older, more influential and traditional Greek families choosing to remain fully Greek. Mortals, which make up a majority of the population, are treated as well as the demigods/legacies, with a few exclusions, such as only demigods/legacies being able to hold the highest political offices and military/police ranks.

The Holy Roman Empire on the other hand, is less peaceful and more militarized than their Greek counterparts. In Rome, no native non-Roman may achieve Roman citizenship and are treated as second class citizens across the vast country. Rome is currently at war with pretty much every Free Country on their side of the globe, having been for centuries.

In Rome, only Roman citizens are allowed to own property in capital/major Roman cities, go to school and live where they want. In Rome it is illegal to worship ANY god other than the Roman pantheon, and any person or persons caught doing so are tried for treason and in most cases, thrown in jail, put into 'work camps' or executed. Rome values godly and divine blood more than anything, so all female demigods and legacies are forced to 'selectively breed' with powerful or wealthy demigod/legacy men either by the government if they're in the military or by their own parents and family if they aren't in the military. Each female demigod/legacy is required to give birth to at least two legacy children in their lifetime, usually at the ages of 21 and 25. And any person who chooses to not do so, is imprisoned for six months, with the women who have powerful abilities being finally forced to either be artificially impregnated or impregnated the old fashioned way and birth new soldiers for Rome's vast army.

Check out the other sections for more details about the various countries.

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**Info you may need to know: **

**About population and military: **

Greece(including controlled countries) Population: ~557,000,000

~60% of the population aren't native Greek

~90% of the population are mortals/half bloods with no divine abilities

~9% of the population are Legacies with non-combat applicable abilities

~-1% of the population are Legacies with combat applicable abilities

Rome(Including controlled countries) Population: ~3,462,000,000

~95% of the population aren't native Roman

~35% of the population are mortals/half bloods with no divine abilities

~35% of the population are Legacies with non-combat applicable abilities

~30% of the population are Legacies with combat applicable abilities

In Greece, Mortals make up most of the population, are are treated as normal, average citizens. In Rome however, demigods and legacies have been selectively breeding for centuries, in order to be more superior than Greece and the Mortal Romans. They also only allow demigods or legacies in government, with the Emperor being a descendant of Julius Caesar. In Greece, the local elected government can be mortals, but not in the country-wide government. There are mortals in the armies on both sides, with them making up a majority on each side, but demigods/legacies are trained more and put in special units. In Rome, demigod/legacy soldiers are selected for 'breeding pairs' based on their abilities, in order for better legacies to be born. Greece has no such thing.

The Free Countries are all different though, while some are reluctant to join the others, most have formed together, assembling their best demigods/legacy soldiers and sending them out to fight, not having the strength nor economy to supply large, militarized numbers of mortal soldiers like Greece or Rome.

**How they join the military is slightly different in each group: **

Greece:

\- All demigod/legacy foreigners(non Greek) are automatically put on a list for a draft when they move to the country or are born in one of the Provinces. Once they do and serve some time either in combat or as support(like medics, teachers, workers,etc) that can be granted full citizenship after a few years and if they didn't get into any legal trouble.

\- All demigod/legacy citizens are automatically moved to a military base to begin training as a soldier at the age of 12, though you can get excused for this for several reasons; you are not fit for battle, medical problems, belong to a recognized religion that doesn't allow violence or war, belonging to a prestigious family, etc. Think of it as a duty that all able bodied and half-breeds have to sign up for, like the draft(at least here in America), not like they get taken from their homes as children and turned into mindless killing machines(like ancient Sparta).

Rome:

\- All male foreigners(non Roman), if they are half-bloods/have powers, are immediately put into training camps all across the country. Then placed in units based on their skills/powers.

\- All citizens, if they are male, are put into the draft at 14 and put into different jobs based on what they can do. If they are a half-breed male, then they are 'adopted' by the state and put into training camps to train for war at the age of 7. If they're a normal female, they aren't drafted or anything but may enlist if they want, though they traditionally can't achieve higher ranks that males do If they're a half-breed female, they are split into two groups based on their parents and powers, if they are a fighter or not and sent to either camp respectively. Also, at the age of 21 then 25, all female demigods/legacies are sent to various military bases to be parts of 'Selective Breeding' with powerful/well off demigod/legacy males, with children of the Olympians prioritized the most, with powerful non-Roman demigods/legacies coming in second.

Other Free Countries:

\- People are allowed to join by a case by case basis. They are normally comprised of small militias that later form into bigger armies. Each country is slightly different, most think that it's one's duty to help protect their home, while some let demigods live in peace and not fight.

**Government: **

Greece:

An elected party of twelve government officials(men OR women), form the head of the country and are voted in every eight years, with no limit to how long they can serve. With each 'State' being led by a smaller local, elected council that are voted in for eight years.

Rome:

Emperor, he claims to be a descendant of Julius Caesar. Rome has been led by the same family for over two thousand years. The Emperor rules all of Rome, but each 'Province' or 'Area' is lead by local Senators, which are exclusively male from well off and prestigious families, that enforce the Emperor's will.

**Which Country Control What: **

Greece: ALL of the US(minus Alaska), Mexico, parts of southern Canada, most of Central America, parts of South America. Greece is currently in talks with the remaining parts of Canada, Central/South America and the Nordic countries about forming an Alliance and Peace Treaty, with the promises to protect the other countries and return any and all native lands that Rome stole after the war. No agreements have been made yet about returning native lands to countries Greece controls, but various Ambassadors of the Free Countries are optimistic about the future of the world for the first time in centuries.

Rome: Pretty much all of continental Europe, all of the Middle East, a few parts of China, Russia, all of Australia, parts of northern Africa.

China: Most of China is free, with some small Roman colonies along the border. They are under constant threat and continuous war with Rome. Along with Russia, they pose the biggest threat to Rome due to their close proximity and size. They are currently aligned with Japan, Russia and Korea.

Canada: Most of southern Canada is controlled by Greece. The rest has aligned with the Nordic countries and are currently in Alliance and Peace Treaty talks with Greece.

Russia: Russia is mostly free, with some small Roman colonies along the border. They are under constant threat and continuous war with Rome. Along with China, they pose the biggest threat to Rome due to their close proximity and size.

Japan and Korea: All of Japan is free and has aligned with China and Korea to fend off Rome. Currently Japan is preparing to join the other few Free Countries in sending over a few demigods to fight in the war.

South America: Most of the northern countries are controlled by Greece. With the rest forming peace treaties with Greece so their people can become citizens of Greece, gaining the rights and privileges that they all get. Their wish is to peacefully become a part of Greece in order to not lose anymore soldiers.

Central America: A Majority of Central America is controlled by Greece, the rest is mostly unexplored, hard to reach areas that the government isn't bothered to claim.

Middle East: The entire Middle East is controlled by Rome.

The Nordics(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Åland Islands, Svalbard and Jan Mayen): Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands are all Free Countries that don't have any Roman or Greek soldiers in their countries. The rest, are currently fending off Roman invasion, receiving limited support from Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands as well as Canada. The entire Nordic region(and Canada) is currently in talk with Greece about forming an Alliance and Peace Treaty to combine their efforts in stopping Rome. With promises that Greece will protect them and return any and all land that Rome stole from them.

Africa: Most of northern Africa is controlled by Rome. However some other parts are being used as mining/training camps and are being stripped of their resources. The leaders of the various countries in Africa are trying their best to fend off Rome, but are losing ground by the day.

Australia: All of Australia is controlled by Rome. The various islands around Australia are either controlled by Rome, in the process of being taken over by Rome or left alone due to either their small size, economic/power wealth or small native populations that are little use to Rome.

Antarctica: Not controlled by any country as of yet, but some areas closer to Rome or Greece respectively are used as weapon testing sites as well as remote research bases. Currently no open warfare is or has been engaged on Antarctic soil.

Hope that answers any questions you have about which country is controlled by what and where your OC falls. Keep in mind though, that they can switch sides such as being born in China but aligning with Rome. If I didn't cover a specific country, PM me and ask.

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Like I said before, this story is still in the early ideas phase, so don't expect it to come out any time soon. I still have to finish my other story, figure out the story, plot, specifics and select characters and get them ready for the story. Don't know when this story will actually start, but I'll let you all know when it's coming soon.

Again, thank you all SO MUCH for all the support for this story so far. I honestly didn't expect such an interest. Have a good one,

Hephaestus


	3. Aug 9 Update& BIG Question - Please Read

(Updated 8/9/19)

Hey everyone! Hephaestus here with some news and a question for this story. I'm gonna run through some quick stuff then get to the big announcement/question I have for you guys. Man, am I dreading this one…

~ **First:** I'm SO SORRY for the delay getting this story out. Don't worry, it's NOT dead, I've just expanded on it so much and done so much work on the worldbuilding that I literally made my own Glossary/book bible that's 30+ pages long that's just info for myself to remember.

~ **Second:** I've officially finished picking the OC's, so please don't send me anymore submissions, they won't be accepted. I received over 40 and I'll honestly say I didn't expect even half that many, that's another reason why I've taken so long starting this story.

~ **Third:** Right now I'm working on the story/chapter outline and trying to intertwine character arcs as well as figure out the main bad guys and their plan. What I have right now could be really cool, I can't wait to get to it. I'm also working on worldbuilding information, lore, the Glossary(which I'm gonna release in a chapter for you guys to read and discover hidden lore) as well as the Prologue, which I just sent the first draft of to my beta the other day. Once I finish here I'll go back to revising the Prologue and once my beta reads through it and I'm finally happy with it and think it's as good as I can make it, I'll release it.

~ **Fourth:** Right now I can't give a release date for either the Prologue or Chapter 1 as I haven't finished the story outline yet and I'm going to be filling in for work for an additional 4 hours a day until further notice starting next week(no choice, sorry, but I also wouldn't have said no). But I want to get the Prologue out by September.

~ **Fifth:** And now it's time for the main reason why I'm putting this out. I've been sitting on this question for awhile now and I've finally decided to ask. As I've been working on this story over the last month or so I've realized some things, mainly that this story is so far removed from PJ or anything Uncle Rick related that it's virtually a new thing. I'm not joking when I say that the only things my story has in common with PJ are that it has Greek, Roman, Norse and Egyptian gods(while mine has ALL the gods ever) and the mention of Celestial Bronze, which I can easily change and make it my own. In this world, Chiron is long dead, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and everyone we know don't exist, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter don't exist, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and all the other gods, deities, monsters, titans and beings are made completely new and are redone. I mean, the ENTIRE HISTORY of the world is changed, Greece and Rome have been at war for over 2 thousand years, America was taken over by Greece when the colonies were first formed, every single myth, creature, god, titan, deity and being that has ever been worshiped, celebrated or thought up exist all at one time in my world. This story is so far removed from PJ that I don't feel that I should even list it as PJ anymore.

So, here comes the question, should I work on this story and when I'm ready put it on Wattpad or AO3 instead of FanFiction? Or a combination of the three? At this point this story is basically an original story that isn't connected to PJ at all, so I don't like marketing it as one.

Hephaestus


	4. Prologue: May The Gods Have Mercy

**The Half-Blood Wars**

**By HephaestusBuilds**

**(Edit 8/23: I fixed all the italics FF removed for some reason upon upload.)**

**Beta'd by PixelFun20 **

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone! It's FINALLY here! You have no idea how happy I am to be putting out the Prologue for this story or how grateful I am for your patience and understanding getting this story out. Did you notice I changed the name of this story? Do you like it? Greece vs Rome was always a working title. I know you all want to get to the story asap, but I have a few important things to let you know first.

First, I have no set date for the release of Chapter 1. I've only started planning it as of writing this. Also, I have made the decision to make this a long-term story. Meaning, that it won't be updated weekly like I try to do for my other stories and will instead be released when I deem them ready. I know people want weekly uploads, but I'm going to be doing a long Pertemis story after I finish my current Percabeth story, Champion of Olympus.

Second, I have created a Wattpad account under the same name and will putting this story up there as well for the time being. I still haven't decided if or when I'll move this story from here to there. Feel free to give me your thoughts in a Review or PM. Speaking of my Wattpad account, I'd love it if you guys followed me on there as well. I'll admit that I really don't know how the site works yet, as it is really confusing, but I intend to put up a few Original Short Stories on there before long. And then, after this is a good way in, I plan on starting my Original Novel I've had in my head for years.

Third, ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED. So please don't send me any, they won't be selected.

Well that's it for now. If you guys like this Prologue and want to see more of it, then please, please let me know in a Review or PM. If I don't get enough support for this story then I'll have to drop it for another I have planned. See you all at the bottom,

Hephaestus

* * *

I also want to give a HUGE shoutout and thanks to PixelFun20, my wonderful, amazing, helpful and patient Beta that is the reason why this Prologue is at the quality it is! Thanks so much! Sorry again for somehow forgetting to mention you before!

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Prologue: May The Gods Have Mercy

My name is Captain Verania Ulixes of the Democratic Theocracy of Greece, and may the gods have mercy on what my fellow officers and I are about to do.

Ever since I was old enough to understand the lessons my father and birth country drilled into my mind, I had been taught the history of this world. How, in the days before years were counted, the Gods roamed free on earth and interacted with us mortals. When, thousands of years ago, two world superpowers were born, destined to thrive and one day expand unto the entire earth. The Democratic Theocracy of Greece and The Holy Roman Empire. The two most powerful, long lasting and militarized civilizations to have _ever _existed on Gaea's green earth. Their history and wars, both against each other and other nations across time and the world, have lasted for as long as anyone can remember, since their first conflict over two thousand years ago. I had the history, pride and mission of my people drilled into me in order to create the _perfect _soldier, with never a thought of who I would be without a war to fight. I was literally _bred _for the sole purpose of war, trained as a child to kill, taught that _anything _could be sacrificed for it. Family, friends… even loved ones.

After being forced to flee my birth country as a young woman, I traveled across the sea to the premier military capital of Greece, New Sparta, in order to forge a new destiny as a soldier in the Greek Military to combat The Holy Roman Empire.

I, like every citizen of the world, wished for a conclusion to this never-ending war that had not only spanned countries and continents, but thousands of years as well. And I would have given anything to end it and hold my former home, and Greece, my adopted home, accountable for their many sins… but not _this_.

Not my humanity.

In the past century, however, with an uneasy stalemate settling between the two nations, fears of an escalation back to an all-out war were running higher than ever. This was only fueled by the fact that the Holy Roman Empire had been selectively breeding powerful half-blood soldiers for centuries and amassing control over almost the entire eastern hemisphere. Something _needed _to be done before Greece was left in the dust. A decision _had _to be made.

After many years of intense debate in the Senate where the motion was denied and revised over and over in an endless cycle, a simple, three-page document came down from the Supreme General himself, created in order to combat and finally destroy the Holy Roman Empire once and for all and preserve our way of life. Looking back, I laugh at not recognizing the signs all around me. The ones I had seen since my birth as I was raised to be a soldier. The way the Supreme General went around Senate vote and procedures to obtain his goal. How we, the military, the ones honor-bound to protect our people, began registering, documenting and later forcefully recruiting half-blood children as soldiers. After all, those who neglect learning their history will one day be doomed to repeat it. And I no doubt had not learned from mine. I could only pray to any God still out there to give me the strength I would need to do what _needed _to be done.

We were to assemble and form a small unit of the most elite soldiers Greece—no, the world had ever seen. But who would make up this unit?

The Supreme General said it was never really a debate, no other group of mortals could match the sheer innumerable legions of Roman soldiers. Not even our specialized units of sentient full and half-blood Monsters could match Rome in open ground combat while we won small battles in the seas and air. So the answer to the kind of soldiers to pick was clear.

Half-bloods.

Half-bloods, the children born from powerful Gods, Monsters or other divine beings and often possessing some sort of unique abilities, were the best-bred soldiers our nation had to offer. They would be documented at birth, observed over the first months and years of their life, where the chaff would be separated from the wheat, and then finally conscripted into the military where they would be raised from a young age to do nothing but serve their nation. The most promising, intelligent, strong and capable of these children would be formed into an elite, specialized unit of Half-Bloods and trained to want _nothing _but to serve their nation and fear not even Thanatos himself.

It sickened me, becoming a part of this again, this time on the other side of the glass and forcing young, _innocent _children into the life of a soldier, like my fellow siblings and I were many years ago in my home country, but I had my orders. And I followed those orders because I believed in the man and woman ordered to lead this herculean task. Two of the Supreme General's most trusted officers, Colonel Dreven Wolfe and Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, arrived with the orders to treat these children as… well, _children_, and not emotionless, military weapons or ordnance like our mindless golems. Gods know I had no proper experience with children…

Even after speaking with Colonel Wolfe, I couldn't understand how the military could condone such a thing after we'd tried so hard as a country to avoid becoming what we hated and feared most. It pained me as I looked over the grainy, black and white photos and simple, spartan bios of children listing their height, weight, abilities and destructive potential like they were mere explosives, weapons or military ordnance. I _envied _their innocence and purity, the beauty of their souls; mine had long since been stripped from me by war and my birth country. Even to this day, all these years later, I regret memorizing their names and faces. Regret treating them like children, like… _my _children. I regret ever using their names, getting to know them and in turn letting them get to know me. But above all, I regret letting myself care for them. Because, like it or not, prayers or not, despite all I and my fellow officers tried to do, these one hundred and seventeen children were all owned by the military, destined to one day face Rome in battle, and one thing above all was certain:

A majority of them wouldn't survive past the first year.

~~~x~~~

Captain Verania Ulixes was stood with her back straight in ever-perfect form at the center of the amphitheater. Previously, the large, centuries old stone building had held meetings for senior officers, but from now on it would act as a classroom and introductory hall of sorts for the new recruits. Ulixes looked around her at the half circle rows of stone seats that stacked on top of one another as she waited for the children—_no, recruits_, she corrected herself—to arrive. The large stone amphitheater was heated by an elaborate maze of pyro-lines in the walls, but she still felt a stubborn chill in her battle-worn bones. Perhaps it was her nerves. Perhaps it was her conscience, but that didn't matter now. As her old Commanding Officer used to say; a conscience was never a good thing to have as a soldier.

A set of heavy footsteps echoed towards her, drawing Ulixes out of her thoughts. As another figure approached, she made sure her black uniform was straight and to perfect military standard before she was fully in sight.

"Colonel Wolfe is waiting in the box, Captain Ulixes. He wishes to just observe them for now and will greet them when he deems the time is right," said a low, gruff, and undeniably inhuman female voice. "The recruits are ready as well. He says to send them in on your order."

Ulixes turned and looked up at the almost two hundred and twenty centimeter, emerald green-skinned Minor Ogress that dwarfed even her imposing height and build. "Thank you, Drill Sergeant Ogzad." Ulixes sighed, looking one last time to the empty amphitheater. "Please summon Matron Gyldenløve and request her presence, I feel it is important to have a… kind face present when they arrive."

The gargantuan Ogress nodded, her four thin, traditional braids moving slightly from the motion, causing the long, otherworldly feathers intertwined in their ends to sway. "Yes, Captain. I'll send for her right away." She made to step away but paused, looking to the Captain. "Shall I assume she still doesn't condone this particular assignment?"

Ulixes made to roll her eyes, but checked the motion. Colonel Wolfe was watching them from his box, after all, and he demanded _nothing less_ than constant professionalism from his subordinates. "You _know _the answer to that question, Drill Sergeant Ogzad," she told her taller companion. "Matron Gyldenløve is a kind, humane woman, that doesn't condone violence or cruelty, we should _all _be opposed to this as much as she is. To be using these innocent children as living weapons is making Greece all the more like _Rome_."

The Ogress let a breath out of her nose, like she was amused. "So I take it she's still upset with you?"

"_Watch yourself_, Drill Sergeant," she warned the imposing woman, before standing up straighter and getting back to the matter at hand. "Send a page to fetch Matron Gyldenløve, as well as Deacon." She added as an afterthought: "Then lead the recruits in, with Ordnance #087-117 bringing up the rear. We don't want any of our new boots to try to run off before we even begin, now, do we?"

"At once, Captain." The Ogress nodded before turning around with unexpected grace for her size and walked off.

~~~x~~~

Several sets of heavy wooden doors, reinforced with Celestial Bronze, opened on the top row of seats, and one hundred and seventeen children—each guided by a Spartan Marine adorned in black fatigues—began filing in, lead by the same Ogress Captain Ulixes had spoken to. An even larger, over two hundred and fifty centimeter titanic figure that looked to be completely made out of earthen clay brought up the rear. All of the children had darkened bags under their eyes and scuffs on their skin and clothes, no doubt from their less than gentle collection and shipment to the base. It all seemed routine at first, she had greeted countless recruits like this, _but those were voluntary_, she told herself. That is, before one of the children tried to force himself past his retainer. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a quick whack to the back of the head with a baton and forcefully sat down as the other children took their seats.

As soon as they were all seated on the stone risers, Captain Ulixes let out one last sigh and stepped forward to address the recruits. "As per Military Code 3879, you are all hereby property of and conscripted into the Greek Military Special Unit, 1st Half-Blood Regiment, codenamed: Immortal Spartans."

She had to stop at the lump in her throat. How could these _children_, no younger than ten and no older than fifteen, understand what she just said? What it meant for them? Their lives and future? She couldn't even understand the ethics and reasoning behind it herself and she had been bred for war and had been in the military since birth. They had no understanding what this all meant, their lives as they knew them, are gone. Now they only live to serve the military.

She mentally shook off her thoughts and made a bold step forward, increasing the stern tone of her voice as well as the volume so that she stole the attention of the entire room. "Every one of you here has been called upon by your country, your Gods, your Supreme General and your people, to serve. You are among the most elite children and teenagers from across Greece's vast country and settlements, where only the fastest, strongest, smartest and most capable are permitted to serve. I am Captain Verania Ulixes of the 1st Half-Blood Regiment and I speak to you on behalf of your Supreme General and your Senate and would like to welcome you all to the Leonidas Military Training Base."

"I will _personally _be overseeing your training throughout and past boot camp until the top graduates are deemed suitable for combat. But there is one thing you should know about me first…" She hardened her eyes and glared at the children. "I am not your mother, or your friend, nor your maiden aunt. My word is the word of my superiors, and it is law. Every soldier on this base, every piece of equipment and every thought is dictated and run through me and my superior Colonel Wolfe. When I speak, _you will_ listen. When I address you, _you will_ answer promptly with either 'yes ma'am', 'no ma'am', 'yes Captain' or 'no Captain'. And when you address me, _it will_ be by either 'ma'am' or 'Captain'. Is that understood?"

She waited for a brief second for their reply. After not receiving any, she raised her voice even more and barked, "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"

After receiving a rather frightened combination of "yes ma'am"s and "yes Captain"s, she placed her arms behind her back and stared straight ahead as she continued. "You have all been called upon and gathered by your country due to your divine blood or unique abilities in order to combat the Holy Roman Empire." Upon mentioning their eternal enemy, she could feel the hatred in the room fluctuate for a second that was quickly replaced by rapt interest. "You have been selected to be the newest and greatest addition to the Greek Military. You should all feel proud, for today, today we are making history." _That still doesn't condone it_, she thought.

"As you know, we have been at war with the Romans for countless centuries," Her eyes glanced around the room briefly. "And those select few of you in this room will one day be the conclusion to that war." Several of the children—no, _recruits_—were leaning forward as if they were about to leap from their seats and ask what they could do for their country. _Like all good Greek children_, she thought.

"But you should know these things. Your families… _are gone_. Your homes… _are gone_. Your lives… _are gone_. From now until you sail into _Hades_, your fellow recruits will be your family. The Leonidas Military Training Base will be your home. And your lives will be dedicated to the service of your country."

She was just about the call the people behind her forward when a boy, the same one that resisted the officer earlier, spoke up.

"Well how about fuck you?!" He yelled, climbing to his feet. The bulky Minotaur soldier behind him made to grab the boy, but Verania motioned for him to let the boy proceed. The boy, about fourteen or so, glared at her like he actually believed she would be intimidated by him. "What you're doing is illegal! This is kidnapping! You have no right to-."

"That is where you are wrong, recruit." She cut him off sharply. "Our government is lead by the chosen followers of the Gods themselves and their words _are the words of the Gods_. Are you speaking out against the Gods? Do you _dare _think yourself above our Holy protectors? Above the Senate? Above the Holy Hiereia of Olympus themselves?" She demanded with a harsh, accusing tone that made the no doubt religious boy— because _all_ Greek citizens were religious zealots in one way or another— step back and dart his eyes to the ceiling as if he expected Lord Zeus himself to cast down a lightning bolt and strike him dead on the spot. After a second the boy calmed himself, but she didn't give him a moment to relax. She took a step forward and moved her eyes over all the eyes in the room before her.

"And your parents, for your information, have all agreed to give us legal custody of all of you so that you may one day serve your country in a way _no other _Greek _ever_ could. What we are building here, will _no doubt_ change the world." She rested her eyes on the boy that had spoken out. "But let me assure you, not all of you will graduate. Most of you will not even make it past Hades Week. In order to train you to be the best military fighting force in history, it _will be_ difficult. The hardest experiences of your lives. On the road ahead of you, there _will be_ hardships, eliminations, dropouts, _failures_. Out of the one hundred and seventeen of you gathered here today, only the top ten will pass and be named… Immortal Spartans."

After the boy was pushed back down into his seat, Verania motioned for the three people behind her to step forwards beside her. The first was the Minor Ogress she had spoken to earlier. She was incredibly massive and imposing at over two hundred and twenty centimeters tall. She was dressed in an immaculate tan military uniform shirt, olive green Drill Sergeant's cover, black belt, matching combat boots and long olive green combat pants. Verania felt the entire crowd grow tense as she stepped forwards. They were most likely not used to seeing a full-blooded Minor Ogress as females were much rarer than males, especially one in a position of authority, up close.

"This, is Drill Sergeant Daltha Ogzad. She will be in charge of your boot training. You _will _treat her with the utmost respect, is that understood?" She let them reply and continued. "When you address her, it will _only _be by 'Drill Sergeant'. She will be in charge of your day to day activities and training and demands _nothing less_ than perfection. Anything less than perfection will be punished by PT, or Physical Training, as well as cleaning duties."

She ignored the few murmurs in the room, deciding to let it pass since they would learn proper military conduct tomorrow. Continuing, she gestured to the next person in line. A short, squat woman with wide hips, a slightly chubby stomach, a rather round derrière and a rather ridiculously large, ample bosom. She was dressed head to toe in an elegant and formal, deep red dress with a white headdress that flowed back past the shoulders, a pure white apron that came down from her shoulders and down her front and tied behind her deep red dress. She wore a long, deep red cloak over her shoulders that settled over her long sleeves. She had white cuffs and a large, wide, white belt that covered most of her waist to just under her chest. On the front of the belt was a symbol of a circle made out of braided knots that looked foreign to the recruits. On the front of her apron was the symbol of the Rod of Asclepius, the Greek God of Medicine as well as the symbol of the Medical Society of Greece. Her headdress bore a deep red band with a blue stripe over her forehead, a signifier for a rank that the sharp-eyed members of the crowd just now started to recognize.

"This," Verania continued. "Is Freyja Gyldenløve, the Chief Matron Medical General of the Military." At this several breaths hitched in the room as eyes widened. All of the children had _heard _of Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, of course, but they had never seen her before, let alone in person. Several of the recruits bowed their heads to the most respected woman in Greece, while the rest, bar one strangely amorphous girl with bluish-purple skin that rudely remained unmoving, nodded their heads in respect.

The woman, Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, stepped forward and offered the recruits a large, kind and warm smile that seemed to calm the souls of the crowd—she was the Matron after all, of course they trusted her. "Hello, my children. As Captain Ulixes said, I am Matron Freyja Gyldenløve, it is a pleasure." She nodded her head to them in formality. Her voice was kind, with a calming aura and an undeniably foreign Norse accent. "I, along with every soldier in this room was hand picked to train, groom and nurture all of you into the greatest soldiers you can be. We will all be fully dedicated to your training and growth." Her voice was slightly forced, restrained like she was reading a script and didn't believe or agree with what she was saying. "I want to assure you all, that at least while _I_ am here, you will be taken care of and looked after. The journey ahead of you will be long and challenging, my children, but I _assure you_, that you will all be safe. You have my word."

She stepped back beside Drill Sergeant Ogzad, and a few of the children didn't miss the unapproving look Captain Ulixes gave the Matron. Her audacity to openly disrespect the Matron most definitely surprised them. After a second, Ulixes gestured to the final person in line, a tall, handsome boy of about thirteen that was dressed in a matching uniform to the Captain, consisting of black combat pants and tucked in military uniform shirt. He seemed dwarfed by the two massive, imposing women, but he had a certain aura around him that commanded respect. He strode forward with immaculate posture like he was an automaton and halted on the spot, looking to the crowd.

"My name is Alesandro Deacon." His voice was low and perfectly enunciated for his age, no doubt hardened by his military upbringing. His tone commanded respect and held a sense of authority and nobility that all the recruits easily recognized. He gave them a look like he was evaluating them and could read them just by a look. "As you know, I am the first child of Lord Zeus in over a century, the first since the fabled Day of Blackened Sky that lead to the thousands of Gods of our world to flee the earth. I will be your squad leader. My birth, as you all know, has been prophesied by our Oracles to one day lead us to find an end to this Holy War." He hardened his eyes and made a bold step forward, holding one hand out to them while keeping the other behind his back. "Alone, I cannot hope to end this war, so I must call upon you, my Half-Blood brothers and sisters, to follow me and help me put an end to this pernicious war. Follow me as you would follow my father, my Greeks, and I shall lead you all into a better world."

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**Author's Note**:

Thanks for reading. If you liked it, please let me know in a Review or PM. I'd say more but I have to leave for work in 3 minutes and I haven't gotten ready yet.

**QOTD:** 'Who is your godly parent? Any gods permitted.'


	5. AN Update & Poll PLEASE READ

Hey everyone, Hephaestus here! I'm not dead, woo!

Just so you all know, this update is being put in Champion of Olympus, The Half-Blood Wars and PJ Characters in 99 Words.

I just wanted to put out this AN letting you all know that I'm sorry for updates being slow, but I'm working on getting some stuff out. I've also been working on commissioning character artworks on Fiverr the last few weeks. I intend to get at least a sketch done of every major character in Champion of Olympus, Daughters of Olympus and The Half-Blood Wars. So far I have artwork of Astraea, the MC of DOO, Freyja from THBW and two concept arts of characters from DOO, Kala Fredrick and Rana Muhammad, both girls being half-bloods with inhuman features.

And it's because of these character artworks why I'm making this announcement, I've put up three Polls on my Twitter to decide which artworks I'll get done first, I'll get them all done, I'll just get them in the order of votes. I have a Poll for COO, DOO and THBW, so you have three options to vote for. If you only read one story, then you can still vote for a character from that story!

I know not everyone has a Twitter, but if you do, then please head over there and vote for your favorite characters or which one you want done first. Wanna see Percy, Jason, Nico and Leonidas in their full armor in a battle scene from COO ch.19 'Three Wolves And One Lion'? Or a cute artwork of Leonidas, Eos and baby Astraea? Or perhaps one of a family portrait of Percy, Annabeth, Astraea and their 'to be revealed' child? Then head over there right away and vote! The Polls will be up for 7 days starting today, so do it now before they close.

I'd also REALLY appreciate it if you guys followed me while you were over there, I'm trying to build myself a writing platform and every follower or fan helps more than you know. I'm going to be starting my first, original novel "The Northern Rings" later this year. I plan on uploading a few chapters on Wattpad to build an audience, then, hopefully, I want to actually publish the book. But that won't be for years to come, sorry. I wanna take my time with it and not rush it. Once I edit and beta them, I plan on putting the chapters on my Pat-reon so my Patrons can read the chapters before it gets published. This way I can get some more income to at for publishing AND I get reader feedback. A win-win if you ask me. Synopsis for The Northern Rings to come out at some point, no idea as of yet.

Plus, I have two series to work on here on Fanfiction. Oh yeah, did I mention that Daughters Of Olympus and The half-Blood Wars are going to be series? Guess I just did, lol.

Feel free to ask questions in Reviews or PM's, but remember that FF still hasn't fixed notifications for PM's, so I might be slow to reply.

I hope to finish COO Ch20 Part 2 this weekend. And once COO is finally over I'll be starting THBW, it is LOOOOONG overdue, I apologize for that, guys. I didn't mean for it to be this long. But I've been working on the story outline and plot and I gotta say, I think you guys will really like it! I hope, lol.

And while you're over on Twitter, I created an Account for Astraea, the MC from Daughters of Olympus. It's part roleplay, part additional info on her character and the world she lives in. I've been posting on it daily and will for the next few months. I'll be using the account to give you guys hints to the series and additional info on her as the main character. If you wanna get to know her before DOO starts, then give her account a follow. It's Stronger_ThanU and mine is the same name as on here!

Anyway, this has gone on long enough, so I'll end it here. I hope you guys have a good one,

Hephaestus


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